Metallic railway-crosstie



l. ,A. HYLE.

METALLIC RAILWAY CROSSTIE. APPLICAT'ION men JAN. 21, 1920 1,339,345. 'Pawntea May4,1920.

El vwe ntoz,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB A. HYLE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 TRI-CITY' STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

METALLIC nAILWAYwRossTIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed .Tanuaryfal, 1920. Serial No. 352,947.

1'. '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J AOOB A. Hm, a citi- 1 zen of the United States, residing'at Philadelphia, in the county of'Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented? certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway-Grossties, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved and novel metallic railway cross tie especially designed for use in connection with the road beds of steam and electric railways.-

The prime object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable, economical and construct the metallic cross tie and wooden blocks, that'the blocks may be: readily and easily removed and" new blocks inserted or replaced by a single employee and without removing the tie, or in any manner disturb ing the position of the track rail 'or'ballast beneathv the tie; to safely and securely fasten the wooden blocks upon the base portion of the metallic cross tie, with the inner face of each block in contact with the central upright thereof, by novel and improved means, whereby absolute safety is always maintained in the gage of'the'track rails, which block fastening means insures-the seating of the blocks securely in contact with the base of thetie atalltimes when bolted to the tie, saidmeans-serving att'the same time to prevent the wooden blocks from spreading'apartunder the strain to which they are subjected; to provide the outer face of'each block with. a strong and durable clamping means serving not only to h'oldeach woodeniblock inits-proper'positio'nwith respect to the metallic cross tie,

- but also 'servin'g to compress the fibers of Further objects of the invention are to so the Wooden block to such an extent as to preventsplitting of the block when the track rail securing spikes are driven therein, said clamping means being so constructed as to prevent any vibratory or swinging movement of the blocks, and materially serving to prevent any skidding action of the metallic cross tie.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are accomplished by the means hereinafter more fully described, and by the construction, combination, arrangement and locationnof the parts such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and 'particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise :forrn, proportions, and rninordetails'of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing" any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part ofthe specification, it: will be seenthat:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the novel railway cross tie embodying my invention. V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the metallic cross tie showing the wooden block secured thereto.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged end elevation, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the bloclzj clamping yoke detached from the cross tie.

Similar numerals of referencev are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings;

In carrying out the invention, I provide a railway cross tie of suitable'or desirable'dimensions throughout the length and breadth and the metallic portion of said tie with which my-invention is embodied in the form illustrated may be made of any suitable metallic material, but is preferably made from the-standard inverted T-shaped sections of steel, which sections are now in universal use, and consists of a fiat laterally extended base portion 1, and a central integral vertical member 2, extending the entire length of the tie.

It will be perceived that the track rails 3 are seated and rest upon a metallic plate 4 seated upon the'uppersur'faee of the hardwood blocks 5, there being two blocks on each side of the vertical member 2 of the cross tie, and two blocks near each end of the tie, each of said blocks being formed with straight vertical faces, the lower surface of each block resting upon and in contact with the upper surface of the base portion of the tie and extending a suitable dis tance laterally therefrom, thereby forming a widened bearing surface or seat for the track rails, while the upper portion of each block extends a suitable distance above the upper surface of the central member 2 of the tie in order to furnish thorough and effectual insulation of the track rail from the metallic cross tie. The size of the hardwood blocks is sufiicient to furnish the requisite strength to support the track rails and retain the rail fastening means such as spikes of the type ordinarily employed in securing the track rails to a wooden tie, which spikes are usually driven into the wooden blocks with the head 'portion of each spike overlapping and in contact with the upper surface of the base portion of the track rail.

The wooden blocks such as utilized in this connection are inexpensive, since the ends of logs; the well preserved portions of castoff wooden ties, and other pieces of wood are used up which would ordinarily be classed as waste material, said wooden blocks being first preferably impregnated or saturated with crude oil, creosote, or any other suitable or desirable preservative preparation to increase their durability and longevity. They are formed rectangular in cross-section and adapted to rest in contact with the base portion and against the central member 2 of the cross tie, the dimensions of each block being uniform in order that they may be turned upside down or either side may be utilized as the top or track rail bearing surface. The novel fastening means employed for firmly and securely clamping the wooden blocks to the body portion of the metallic cross tie and in contact therewith comprises two headed bolts 6, of the requisite strength, screwthreaded at one end thereof, two clamping yokes 7, and two securing nuts 8, one of said nuts being fitted to the screw-threaded end portion of each bolt 6, said fastening means being adapted to rigidly and firmly secure two blocks at the same time to the cross tie, one pair of said blocks being located near each end portion. of the tie. Each securing bolt 6, is passed through an opening formed through the block and the opening formed through the central member of the tie, and through an opening 9 formed in each upright block clamping portion 10, of each yoke 7, whereby the blocks, tie and clamping yokes are all securely locked together by the said clamping yokes 7, bolts 6 and the securing nuts 8 fitted to the threaded end of each bolt and resting in contact with the outer surface of each upright clamping portion 10 of the clamping yoke.

It will be seen that each clamping yoke 7 consists of a single piece of bar iron or steel of sufiicient strength, substantially U- shaped, and is provided at its lower central portion with a downwardly depressed or extended integral member 11, adapted to straddle, but rest in contact with the lower surface of thebase of the tie, forming a shoulder 12 at each end. of the member 11, which shoulders engage each side edge of the tie base, said yoke extending laterally outward at each side thereof beneath and in contact with the lower surface of each block until it reaches the outer side wall or face of each block where it isbent upright so as to contact with the said outer side wall of the block, hence when the securing bolts 6 are passed throughthe opening 9, formed in each upright portion, and the securing nuts 8 are tightly adjusted on the threaded ends of the bolts in contact with the outer face of the upright it causes the fibers of the woodenblocks to become so compressed as to prevent the blocks from splitting when the rail fastening spikes are driven therein and will materially serve to prevent weather conditions from permitting the blocks to split; as will be readily understood, since the upright portion of each yoke extends upward to a point slightly below the upper end of each block.

In forming each clamping yoke 7, the bar of iron or steel constituting said yoke is heated, and while in its hot condition it is bent into its proper shape, such as illustrated, and while still hot a steel punch is forced through the bar, thereby forcing or spreading the metal outward, without cutting out the metal, whereby the opening 9 is formed therethrough,.and at the same time all. of the metal is retained, thus forming a lateral strengthening enlargement surrounding the opening, and thereby reinhence said portions are adapted to contact with the tamped portion of the road bed ballast, and materially prevent the skidding, swerving or sliding forward of one end or the other with the rail, when the rail joints are spiked securely tothe tie, which is well known to skilled railway men, while the wooden blocks used which' are embedded within the ballast constitutes such a resistance that the track cannot skid sidewise without carrying all of the road bed ballast with it, thus all tendency to the skidding action is materially prevented.

It will be readily perceived that each wooden block projects a' suitable distance above the metal portion of the tie, thus insuring an efficient insulating medium, and preventing interference with the use of electric signaling means. It will also be seen that each block extends laterally a suitable distance beyond the outer edge of the base portion of the tie, thereby forming an increased bearing surface for the base of the track rail, and at the same time forming a widened tie, whereby the number of ties usually required per mile of road bed is materially reduced, and since each block is embedded in the road bed ballast, the laterally extended portion of each block serves to re inforce the tie, together with the depending shouldered portions formed by the clamping yoke beneath said extended portion, against all tendency of the skidding movement of the tie in either direction.

It will be understood that the metallic seat plate for the track rails may be dispensed with if desired, and the rails allowed to rest directly upon the upper surface of the wooden blocks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A metallic railway cross tie having a flat base portion, and a central upright member provided with a plurality of openings adapted to receive securing bolts, two wooden blocks resting on said base at each side of the upright member, each block extending laterally beyond the base, and a clamping yoke straddling the tie base and blocks and in contact with the outer side face of each block.

2. A metallic railway cross tie having a fiat base portion, and a central upright mem ber provided with a plurality of openings adapted to receive securing bolts, two

wooden blocks resting on said base at each side of the upright member, each block extending laterally beyond the base, and a clamping yoke straddling the lower surface of the tie base in contact with the lower surface of the extended portion of each block and secured in contact with the outer side face of each block.

3. A metallic railway cross tie having a fiat base portion, and a central upright member provided with a plurality of openings adapted to receive securing bolts, two wooden blocks resting on said base at each side of the upright member, each block extending laterally beyond the base, and a plurality of block clamping yokes secured beneath the tie base in contact with the lower face of the extended portion of each block and in contact with the outer side face of each block.

4-. A metallic railway cross tie having flat base portion, and a central upright member provided with a plurality of openings adapted to receive securing bolts, two wooden blocks resting on the base at each side of the upright member, each block extending laterally beyond the base, and a plurality of block clamping yokes straddling the lower surface of said base and embracing the lower extended surface of each block and secured to the outer side surface of each block.

5. A metallic railway cross tie having a fiat base portion, and a central integral upright member provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, two wooden blocks supported on said base at each side of the central member, each block having a plurality of openings therethrough and extended laterally beyond the tie base, and a plu rality of clamping yokes straddling the lowermost surface of the base in contact with the extended lower surface of each block and fixedly secured in contact with the outer side face of each block.

6. A metallic railway cross tie having a flat base portion, and a central integral upright member provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, two wooden blocks supported on said base at each side of the central member, each block extended laterally beyond the tie base and provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, and a plurality of block clamping yokes secured in contact with the lowermost surface of the tie base and each outer edge of the base in contact with the extended lower surface of each block, and in contact with the outer vertical side face of each block.

7. A metallic railway cross tie having a flat base portion, and a central integral vertical member provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, two wooden blocks resting on the base at each side of the central member, each block extended laterally be yond said base, a plurality of block securing clamping yokes, each yoke straddling the lowermost surface of the tie base and in contact with the lower extended surface of each block, and in contact with the outer vertical wall of each block, and means for securing said yokes and blocks into fixed contact with the base and vertical member of the tie.

8. A metallic railway cross tie having a flat base portion, and a central integral vertical member, two wooden blocks supported on said base at each side of the central member, each block extended laterally beyond 5 tical member, two wooden blocks supported on said base at each side of the central member, each block extended beyond the base, a plurality of block clamping yokes, each yoke formed with a central depressed member en- 10 gaging the lower surface and the sides of the tie in contact with the extended portion of each block formin depending shoulders at each side edge of the tie base, and with upright portions overlapping the outer side wall of each block, threaded securing bolts passing centrally through'each block and said upright portions, and securing nuts fitted to said. bolts and resting in contact with the outer side face of each yoke.

JACOB A. HYLE. 

